THE CHRISTIAN REFUGEES OF IRAQ WANT TO COME HOME, BUT THEY NEED HELP AND PROTECTION

Although the U.S. army and coalition forces have expelled ISIS from Mosul and other Iraqi cities, remains unresolved huge task of reconstruction in Northern Iraq. One of the most difficult questions: what will be with the persecuted Christians?

People dancing and waving flags in the streets, and military leaders claim historic defeat of ISIS.

“For the past three years, thanks to the determination of Iraq, ISIS is rapidly declining. It has lost of Tikrit, Ramadi and Fallujah and now Mosul. The Iraqi security forces become better and stronger,” reports Ryan Dillon, Colonel, United States army, the official representative of the headquarters of the operation “Unwavering commitment”.

“Today’s victory is a victory not only for the Iraqi people. A victory for the entire world, which everywhere was suffering from the attacks,” says Yahya Rasoul, an Iraqi Brigadier General, the official representative of the joint staff operations against ISIS.

And suffering still continues. The footage, shot with a drone in Mosul, seen widespread destruction. Buildings turned into piles of stones, and the smoke from the airstrikes are still rising into the sky.

“We were there in April, and we have seen that the Sunnis, that is, the ISIS, said paint each house — whether it’s the home of Sunnis, Shiites or Christians. And then to the homes of Shiites or Christians picked up a barrel with oil and set on fire. You can imagine what has turned this building,” says Jeff king, President of the organization “international Christian concern”. This non-profit organization that acts as a link between believers in free countries and countries with persecution.

After returning from Iraq, king said that the restoration of the people of Iraq is a task that goes beyond the capabilities of the Iraqi government. Especially in terms of thousands of Christians and members of other religious minorities who were forced to leave their homes because of ISIS, and many of them fled with only the clothes that were on them. His team took the images of Jesus that were used by ISIS as targets. In another Church, they shot the statue of Mary, so that left only parts of her face.

“We have seen many times like that. The purpose of these actions is to defile. Christians want to push. If they do not wish to convert to Islam, they will try to expel from the country. The ISIS want the Christians there do not remain,” continues Jeff king.

King says that U.S. aid getting into Iraq, often bypasses the Christians, the dominant religion here is Islam. Therefore, his organization is working with lawmakers from Congress, specifically to help Christians in this war-torn region. According to him, according to the statistics, of the 1.5 million Christians who lived in Iraq in 2003, there are only about 250 thousand. King told us that the majority of Christians who spoke with his staff, want to go back. They just need protection from the new government of Iraq.

“When it comes to help when they feel that way, then praise God like a madman, and say, “Oh my God! We are part of something big!” he says.

Namely family, doing God’s work here on earth, which support each other.